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Landfill fees reduced for blight materials

Palladium-Item
3:59 p.m. EDT August 14, 2014

A compactor is used to smash down trash at the Richmond Landfill.
Joshua Smith / Palladium-Item file photo -
-Billy Johnson uses a compactor to smash down trash at the Richmond Landfill on Tuesday, April 20, 2004.(Photo: Joshua Smith, Copyright 2003;Yes)

The Richmond Sanitary District Board of Commissioners this week reduced fees at the Richmond Landfill for construction/demolition material that may be headed there if the city receives federal dollars through the state of Indiana for its Blight Elimination Program.

City officials asked for and the board approved reducing the dumping fees by 50 percent for material from Blight Elimination demolition.

The normal fee for construction/demolition material is $25 per ton for those living in the sanitary district and $31 per ton for those outside the district.

The city of Richmond has applied for $1.88 million in U.S. Treasury dollars through the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority for Blight Elimination.

The city initially asked for volunteer property owners with abandoned buildings who would be willing to sell them to the city for demolition and reuse.

The city was hoping to draw interest from about 40 people. Eighty-five property owners came forward.

The city is expecting to hear if it will receive the forgivable loan by Sept. 1.